LUKE  KNOX

Within my work is an attempt to create community. Community both within and outside the walls of Pepperdine. I believe this work has pieces of my hometown in Michigan, pieces of Los Angeles, and pieces of places I haven't yet traveled. This semester, I invited friends of mine to occupy my studio space, so they had somewhere to hone their artistic vision. This space also served as a fun place to hang out. When I met someone new on campus I would tell them about the studio and invite them to come draw on the walls. The work that naturally flowed out of this hands-off answer to “what do I do with this studio?” includes but is not limited to: a Kanye West portrait by a sports medicine major, a revealing of God within the bounds of a canvas by a Pepperdine sophomore, and a number of new friendships. This space also served as a homebase for pop up art shows thrown in various locations around Malibu. I find it extremely important to give artists real world experience before throwing them in the fire come graduation time. This work can be credited to my relationship with God, which grew in strength exponentially this year. The resilience and passion for life I have found through Him is incomparable to anything else this life has to offer.